Album review: 'State of Da World,' by Inner Circle

Tuesday

Aug 25, 2009 at 12:01 AMAug 25, 2009 at 3:08 AM

You may only know Inner Circle as "That Band Who Does the Theme from 'Cops'," and that's fair enough. But they're also a fine reggae band, and State of Da World brings along a few friends for a heavy roots album with a few modern touches.

Patrick Varine

It's probably okay to chuckle a little when we mention Inner Circle. It's true that, despite their best efforts, they'll likely be forever known in the United States as "The Band That Does The 'Cops' Theme Song."

Outside of that, however, they're a perfectly good reggae band, and "State of Da World" is another fine notch in their belt, as they get a little help from their friends and put together a heavy roots album with a few modern touches.

Crooner Junior Reid employs a little Auto-Tune for his verses on "Blood a Run"; Steel Pulse's David Hinds drops in to question conflicting faiths in "Religion"; and even though "Smoke Gets in My Eyes" is really "Welcome to Jamrock" in disguise, Damian Marley's bark still commands atop a pounding piano.

Left to their own devices, Inner Circle sometimes fall back to a bit of generic '80s-ish reggae ("Put Love First," "Love Song"), but "State of Da World" is more than enough to convince anyone that they're much more than "Bad Boys."

Sister Publication

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The Wellsville Daily Reporter ~ 159 North Main Street, Wellsville, NY 14895 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service